The Patriots’ pass rush has reached the point where every snap feels like a test they’re not equipped to pass.
What looked like a manageable roster issue before the 2026 season has turned into a real problem, and Sunday’s 35-6 loss in Jacksonville made it impossible to ignore. With Dre’Mont Jones out injured, rookie Gabe Jacas and Elijah Ponder were pushed into heavy duty against Trevor Lawrence, and the result was exactly what you’d expect when the pressure never arrives: Lawrence had room to operate, and the Jaguars rolled.
The root of the issue is easy to trace. New England let K’Lavon Chaisson walk in free agency even though he posted the team’s second-most sacks in 2025, and Harold Landry’s injury has kept him off the field so far this season. His return remains a complete unknown, which leaves the Patriots staring at a thin edge-rushing group with very little certainty behind it.
That’s why Matthew Judon immediately entered the conversation. The former Patriot, who played in New England from 2021 to 2023, was one of the more obvious names the team could have explored if it wanted a familiar fix. Instead, that door is closing fast: Judon is expected to sign with the 49ers on Monday, giving San Francisco a much-needed boost after losing Nick Bosa to injury.
Judon even made his plans public before the news broke, saying he would sign with the NFC West contender on Monday to reunite with his former head coach, Raheem Morris. A post shared on social media also noted that he is expected to join the 49ers and reconnect with Morris, now the team’s defensive coordinator.
For the Patriots, that means one less option on a list that was already pretty short. They could have chased the reunion themselves, especially with their history with Judon and the fact that plenty of fans never wanted him traded in the first place. But the bigger question is whether he would have been the right answer anyway.
Since leaving New England in 2024, Judon has totaled 5.5 sacks across stops with the Falcons, Dolphins, and Bills. That’s not the kind of production that solves a defense’s biggest issue, especially when the problem is exploding off the edge and collapsing the pocket.
So even if Judon is off the board, the Patriots still have work to do. They need someone more disruptive, whether that comes through free agency or a major trade. However they go about it, the move can’t wait much longer.
Because right now, the defense doesn’t have enough pass-rush juice to survive the tougher games still ahead. And unless Landry’s timeline becomes clearer or Jones is definitely back next week, New England is operating in the dark.
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Patriots Fans Just Got A Telling Caleb Lomu Update
The Patriots used a lopsided game against the Jacksonville Jaguars to get Caleb Lomu some extra work at right tackle, with head coach Mike Vrabel turning to the first-round pick after replacing Morgan Moses in the lineup. It was the kind of late-game decision that fit the moment, giving Lomu more live reps while the offense was already fighting from behind.
Vrabel made clear the move was about experience, not a depth-chart shakeup, saying Mosess starting job was not in danger. Still, it comes against a tricky backdrop for New Englands offensive line, which has already absorbed its share of hits with Mike Onwenu going on injured reserve and Greg Van Roten leaving the game with a thigh injury. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Fans Will Recognize Vrabels Mood After This Collapse
The loss to Jacksonville had the kind of sloppiness that tends to linger with a coaching staff, and Mike Vrabel did not sound like a man looking for comfort after it. Turnovers and penalties helped sink the Patriots in a game that got away from them, and the bigger concern was the way the problems piled up while the team seemed unable to steady itself.
Vrabels response after the collapse carried the edge Patriots fans have heard before when things start slipping. He made it clear he is worried about where the group stands right now and said the focus has to be on improving what the team is putting on the field, which puts the spotlight on leadership as much as execution entering the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Suddenly Have A CB Problem Joey Porter Jr Could Change
Carlton Davis made it back onto the field for New England in Week 3, but his return did not provide much lasting comfort. He was limited in action before aggravating the neck issue that had already put his availability in doubt, leaving the Patriots with a familiar problem at cornerback just as the defense tries to settle in.
Joey Porter Jr. has now entered the conversation as a possible answer, with the Steelers corner reportedly available because of contract disagreements. For the Patriots, the fit is obvious enough to invite speculation, since another proven corner would give them a needed layer of stability on the back end, but any move would come with the usual cost of trying to solve a short-term roster issue before it becomes a longer one. [Read more 🡒]